A Kick in the Head
by SkyeStar7763
Summary: Shouto Todoroki is just recovering from his internship with Endeavor when he finds himself in an unfamiliar Vegas with plenty of familiar people populating it. Taking a job as a courier, he hopes to make enough to enter the strip and meet the mysterious House, who might help him get home. Then he gets shot in the head, and all those plans go out the window.
1. A Kick in the Head

The last thing Shouto remembered before his world fell apart was almost strangely normal. He had been walking home from school, the first day back at Yuuei after their internships were over.

Nearly every moment when a teacher wasn't talking was a moment spent discussing the internships, and how good or bad they were.

Although Shouto hadn't participated in the chatter, he'd heard all about Momo's awful internship, and Uraraka's wonderful one. Apparently Tsuyu had helped bust a drug ring, and Jiiro had helped free some hostages. Certainly not what Yuuei first years usually did after the Sports Festival, but the villain attack had put all eyes on the class, and they'd gotten much better internships than they most likely would have otherwise.

Everyone had wanted to know what had happened with Stain and the Nomus, but he, Midoriya, and Iida had kept quiet about the truth as instructed. It was still a bit nerve wracking, thinking back. Native and Iida had come extremely close to death, and it had come down to smarts, force, and sheer dumb luck that they had taken down the villain.

The fact that the credit was given to his old man hadn't done the situation any favors of course, but there was nothing Shouto could do about that.

Midoriya had stopped him after school, grabbing his sleeve before he could exit past the gates. "Todoroki," Midoriya hesitated, shuffling his feet. "Are you alright? After what you said before our match in the semifinals...and then you interned with Endeavor…"

A warm feeling fizzed in Shouto's chest. He'd always had Fuyumi, and to a lesser extent, Natsuo, (and Touya, when he was alive,) who'd cared for him with all his baggage and problems with his father, but having someone outside of his immediate family know about his history and care like Midoriya was a new feeling, and one he'd very much like to get used to.

"I'm alright," Shouto assured the green haired boy. "I joined Endeavor's agency because I knew I would get needed experience from it. And I'm glad I did, otherwise I wouldn't have made it in time to help." Not that he hated his old man any less, but perspective was a wonderful thing. Now that he was using his fire, he needed an internship where he could learn how to control it better.

Midoriya rewarded his words with a smile. "I'm glad. T-that you were there, I mean. N-not that you were there with Endeavor, but that you were there in the alleyway with Iida and I." He flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know if we would have made it without you. So I'm happy you were there."

"I'm sure you would have found a way." Midoriya was proving to be one of the smartest people Shouto knew, after all. "But thanks."

"Right." Midoriya seemed to realize he was still holding on to Shouto's arm and quickly let go, letting out an awkward chuckle. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow! Be safe, okay?" Shouto wondered if he meant 'safe on the way home' or 'safe at home'. Either way, the warm fuzzy feeling returned. He gave Midoriya a quick nod and started off in the other direction.

It was as he was nearing the train station, that Shouto's head started to throb, which quickly grew worse until it felt like someone was pressing a jackhammer into his forehead. Shouto's bag slipped from around his arm as he sank to his knees, crying out in pain. He thought he heard someone moving towards him, but it was all drowned out as his vision faded to black.

* * *

Something cold was pressed upon Shouto's head.

That was his first thought as he slowly regained consciousness. Not yet opening his eyes, he moved his right arm up to touch whatever was on top of his head, discovering it was a wet cloth. That made sense, considering it was head pain that had made him black out. Shouto shifted ever so slightly across the mattress he appeared to be laying letting out an involuntary groan at the surprising soreness of his limbs.

"You're up." Shouto jolted at the sound of Aizawa's voice, footsteps he could only assume belonging to his teacher approaching him. He was speaking English, which was a bit strange, but Shouto assumed he had picked it up at some point. "I almost thought we were going to have to throw you out to the geckos."

Shouto frowned, trying to adjust to the weird language switch. "The geckos?" Weren't geckos tiny little lizards? And why would Aizawa 'throw him out' to them? Cautiously, he lifted the cloth from his forehead and opened an eye.

Both of his eyes flew open, and he threw himself backwards in shock, staring at the man who looked just like his teacher, and at the same time, looked nothing like him at all.

It was Aizawa, that much he could tell for sure. He knew it just from the man's voice. But the Aizawa before him was wearing a dirty dark vest over a dark shirt and dark jeans, complete with a dark blue bandana around his neck, and shades resting on top of his head. His hair was shorter than the Aizawa Shouto knew, pulled back into a small ponytail. With a gun in his holster and a flask in his hand, he looked straight out of one of those wild west films Natsuo had been into when they were younger.

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "A simple thanks would be fine, you know. Most people would've left a strange unconscious kid who fell from a hole in the sky for dead. 'Not my problem' and all."

"Oh yeah," another voice, one Shouto had heard before but wasn't as familiar with as Aizawa's called from behind his not-teacher. Aizawa stepped aside, turning around to reveal a purple haired boy wearing nearly identical clothing to Aizawa, boasting a small smirk on his face. "Most people might've done that. But Shouta's a big softie, so he wouldn't have left you there to die."

"Hitoshi," Aizawa scowled. _Ah. Shinso._ That boy from general studies who'd declared war on class 1-A before the sports festival, who had some sort of mind control quirk. Shouto remembered him because he'd gone up against Midoriya in the first round of the one-on-one fights, and Shouto had been mostly paying attention to Midoriya's fights at the time. This Shinso had a scar above his right eye, and his hair, while still pretty wild, was much shorter. Shouto could see that the roots of Shinso's hair were dark, suggesting that in this world, it wasn't his natural color.

Shouto was pretty sure Shinso and Aizawa had never met before, or if they had, they weren't very close. Shinso wouldn't have acted the way he did otherwise. Just another example of how wrong the whole situation was, and more evidence adding to the theory Shouto was drawing.

He turned to Aizawa once again. "Can you tell me who you are? Or where I am?"

Aizawa huffed, as though Shouto's questions were an annoyance, but answered anyways. "Name's Shouta Aizawa, Courier for the Mojave Express. You're in the wasteland just south of New Vegas. Guessing that wasn't where you were before?"

"No," Shouto managed, his head spinning with that new information. New Vegas? In the Mojave? Well that explained the English, at least. Thank the gods he'd always been quick at picking up new languages. With his old man as the number two hero, Shouto had always worked hard at picking up languages, so that he could understand when Endeavor spoke with international heroes.

"No," he repeated, "I'm from a pretty far ways away. Like an alternate Earth, I think."

From his position leaning against the wall, Shinso snorted. "Is that so? You sure you didn't just hit your head really hard when you landed on the ground?"

"You said I fell out of a hole in the sky," Shouto reminded him. "I wouldn't think that would happen very often. Also, I'm pretty sure Vegas' full title is _Las_ Vegas, not _New_ Vegas."

"He has a point." Aizawa's gaze pierced through Shouto, as though the man was trying to take all of his secrets. "Being realistic, the whole 'falling from the sky thing' isn't normal, even in the wasteland. And I've seen weirder."

Shouto almost wanted to ask what this Aizawa had seen that constituted as weirder than another universe, but decided he didn't really want to know. "So then, how did all this happen?" He thought back to Aizawa's words. "Bombings, you said?"

"Nuclear winter, and all that," Shinso affirmed. "Vegas didn't get hit very hard, at least compared to many other places, but it still isn't really pretty, unless you can afford the strip." He arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying the bombs never fell in your world?"

Shouto nodded, trying to process that information. It was a hell of a lot to take in, the idea of a world were nuclear war actually happened. "That never happened, at least not yet. People haven't been dumb enough to point nukes at each other for centuries, especially not with all the quirks we have these days." Dread flooded thought of something similar happening in his world. "What year did the bombs drop?"

"2077," Aizawa responded. "It's been almost two hundred years since then. Is it around the same time in your world?"

"...No." Shouto frowned. "We're a couple centuries ahead of that." With each new tidbit of information he was getting, things were becoming stranger and stranger.

"Interesting," was all the Aizawa said. His eyes seemed to bore right into Shouto. He wondered what his not-sensei was thinking. After a couple moments, Aizawa sat down in a chair near the couch Shouto had been laid upon. "You said something about quirks? What did you mean by that?"

Shouto frowned. "Quirks. You know, superpowers. They're much more common in the century I come from, but they should have been well known at this point. Maybe forty percent or so of the world's population had them in the twenty-two hundreds."

"And we sure as hell don't have them," Shinso countered. "Pretty sure we'd know if people were sprouting superpowers all over the place."

"Alright then." So this was a world with no superpowers whatsoever. As strange as that was, hearing that this world was post-nuclear fallout was even weirder, and now he had a way to convince Aizawa and Shinso that he was telling the truth without a shadow of a doubt. "This is a quirk." Shouto shifted his foot slightly, and a wave of frost shot across the floor, reaching Shinso and covering the bottoms of his shoes. The other boy yelped and leapt away.

Shouto fought to keep a smile from his face. "Believe me now?"

"Yeah yeah," Shinso grumbled, shaking his foot, as if that would get the frost off of it. "I guess you really are telling the truth. Now the question is what to do with you. I mean, it's not like we can just drop you off somewhere, you don't have a home to go to."

"I do in my world," Shouto pointed out. "Do either of you know of someone who could send me home?"

Aizawa shook his head. "Unfortunately not. Like I said before, we work with the Mojave Express," he gestured around the small room, "which means we travel all around the desert, and know a lot of people who know a lot of people. If we don't know anyone who could help you, there probably isn't anyone." His gaze softened a bit. "Sorry kid."

Shouto slumped back down onto the couch. He tried to ignore the small voice in his head telling him it would be best to just curl up in a ball and hide, from this world that wasn't his own, from these people he didn't really know. Shouto beat that part of him down. He was a hero, no matter where he was. He wasn't going to let himself be defeated so easily by circumstance.

"House might know," Shinso suggested. "He knows just about everything in this hellhole."

"If he did, wouldn't he have escaped to another world by now?" Aizawa countered. The purple-haired boy shrugged.

"Just a suggestion."

"Besides," Aizawa added, "even if he did know, by some miracle, there's no way he'd share that information without payment." He nodded in Shouto's direction. "Payment he has no means to make."

"Like money?" Shouto frowned, feeling a bit lost. "And who's House?"

"He's the owner of New Vegas," Aizawa explained. "Rumor has it he's been around since before the bombs dropped. And yeah, money. New Vegas is all about money, and gambling. You've got no money, and any money you would have is probably useless here."

As much as Shouto hated to admit it, Aizawa was right. He barely had any Yen on him when he was sent here, and even if money was still the same as it was in his world, he had no way of converting Yen to dollars. Still, House may be his only hope of getting home. There was no way he could just let that go, not when his life as a hero rested in the balance.

Shouto rested his chin on his hands in thought. "You said you guys worked for the Mojave express, right? I could join, and earn some cash."

Shinso barked out a laugh. "You think you can earn enough cash by working with us to meet the demands of House? Sorry to burst your bubble, but there's no way that's gonna happen."

Shouto resisted the urge to glare at the other teenager. "It's better than having no cash at all. If I need to find a better job later, I will." He turned to Aizawa. "How do I join the Mojave express?"

Aizawa smirked. "Congratulations, you just did." Shinso made a sound of disbelief behind him, a sentiment Shouto shared. Aizawa elaborated: "This company's spread out all over the Mojave. There really isn't any one central office, in fact Primm might be the closest thing we have, and that's a ways away. Those in charge of the different outposts, like me, are able to hire others at our discretion. And honestly," his smirk deepened. "It's not like you have anywhere else to go."

"We're really gonna keep him, aren't we?" Shinso sighed dramatically, but there was no ill intent behind it. "Fine. We should probably tell him more about the Mojave though."

"That would be nice." Other than House, Shouto had no idea what he was dealing with. Hell, he didn't even know much about his own version of Vegas.

Aizawa started to explain: "Well, House controls the strip, and he has three families underneath him that man the three major casinos. They're not the type of people you want to mess around with. The Chairmen are good to work for, and will pay hefty prices for their deliveries, but you don't want to try and ask more more than they give, or you'll be the one paying."

"Sounds grim," Shouto said. "The other families?"

"Don't work for the Omertas family," Aizawa advised. "They're not much more than thugs who happened upon more power than they should have. They're bad business through and through. The White Glove Society is alright, but there's definitely something off about them, so be careful if you take a delivery with that family."

"Then there's the NCR," Shinso continued. "They pay fine, but not great, and they're nosier than they have any right to be."

Aizawa noticed the blank look on Shouto's face. "New California Republic," he explained. "They're a government to the west of the Mojave, came here for the fresh water and energy the Hoover Dam supplies. They're pretty good, in theory. They're a democracy, and they keep their territory mostly stable. But they outreach, and seem to think everything belongs to them. Any town under their jurisdiction, they tax the hell out of. They'd probably take over Vegas if they could."

"They're still better than the Legion." Shinso finally pulled himself off the wall, and sat down in a chair next to Shouto. "You can tell who they are by their big dumb helmets, latin phrases they probably don't even understand, and how much they talk about putting you on a cross. Bunch of tribes gathered together, modeled themselves after the Roman Empire. Bunch of slavers and sadists."

"Slavers?" Shouto repeated, disbelief clouding his voice.

"We don't work for them," Aizawa said with finality. "And those are the major groups around here. Any questions?"

Shouto thought for a moment. "I don't think so," he finally said. There was obviously much more to the different groups than he had just heard, but he figured they were things better learned by experience.

"Good." Aizawa stood up and left the room, leaving Shouto and Shinso to look at each other awkwardly.

After an uncomfortable moment, Shinso broke the silence. "You never told us your name, you know."

Shouto thought over their conversation in his mind. "I guess not. My name's Shouto Todoroki." He purposely put his first name before his last, remembering that that was how people addressed themselves in America.

"Huh, neat. I'm Hitoshi Shinso. Hitoshi's fine." Hitoshi offered his hand, and Shouto took it. "So your superpower is that you can freeze things? Or just create frost?"

Shouto pondered what to say. On the one hand, he didn't even know his own world's Hitoshi, much less this one. It might be safer to play his cards closer to his chest. On the other hand, his time on the desert before he found a way home might go smoother if he created some genuine good-will with the other boy. In the end, he decided to go with a mix of both. "It's a bit more than that. I can freeze things over with my right side, and heat things up with my left."

Hitoshi whistled. "That's pretty damn useful. I can think of a lot of things that would be good for." Shouto nodded absently. It was probably for the best that he didn't mention just how much ice and fire he could make.

Aizawa re-entered the room and tossed Shouto an object. He quickly caught it, examining it over in his hands with surprise. "A gun?" It was funny, but even holding it in his hands, Shouto felt a chill, like this was an item he wasn't supposed to be touching at all.

"A 10mm Pistol," Aizawa said. "You'll need to be able to defend yourself out there. Not just from the different mutants and monsters, but from other people as well. Your power could certainly be useful, but it won't protect you from the dangers of the wasteland."

Shouto turned the gun over in his hands, and wondered if he _should_ tell the two just how powerful his quirk was. In the end, however, he said nothing, and pocketed the gun. Just because he had it, didn't mean he would ever use it. "You think other people will try and attack me? For delivering packages?"

Aizawa was as blunt as ever with his answer. "Yes. There are gangs of raiders out there who will try and kill you and rob your corpse blind. And that's not even mentioning the Legion, who kill just about anyone they come across. It's a shoot first, ask questions later kind of world out there." Shouto nodded in understanding, because what else could he do? He didn't want to kill, wasn't going to kill, but he had no idea what this new world was like, and Aizawa and Hitoshi did. He was going to have to take their word for it.

Aizawa took his nod as confirmation that he understood. "Good. Then if you're ready, I've got an assignment for you."

Shouto quirked an eyebrow. "Already, throwing me out to the dogs then?"

"You get it fast, or you just don't last," Hitoshi quipped. "Don't sweat it, I'm coming with you. You won't be going this alone."

"Alright then you two," Aizawa started. "There's a package from Navarro I need you tosnmmamsnsb cjwnaalwnw-

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Dnwklanddhkwldoheuei djlajnduwoqlnd jdbhfbehkjebusieoilwk jehdonascvhje_kjawbdjkwajdbjwk djwjndbdbhw rieywdbjwkdb-_

"_Howdy there, partner! You with the Mojave Express? I've got an offer for a delivery you won't want the chance to pass up! How aboudbwkbfje-"_

"_Maybe Khans kill people in the face. But I ain't a thwnwkvqkdnqi kjmdnbwjqnq-"_

"_The truth is, the game was rigged from the start."_

"You're awake. How about that. "

* * *

**And so starts the story! This will be mostly linear, although it will probably jump around a bit, as Fallout: New Vegas can be a pretty non-linear game, and long treks through the desert aren't always the most fun to read about when it's done over and over and over again.**

**It's also going to be a bit different story-wise in another way. If you can think of a MHA character, they're almost definitely somewhere in the Mojave Desert, along with all the normal NV characters. While the first chapter, as well as the selected endgame faction are already decided upon, everything in between is fair game for change. So if you want a character to be met, a small faction to be destroyed or saved, a quest to be completed in a certain way, than leave a review! As long as it isn't super out of character (I can't see Shouto sacrificing a companion to be eaten by cannibals, can you?) Then I'll try and work it in. **

**Other than that, I hope you enjoy the story, and please review to let me know what you like, or what you think I can improve upon. Thank you!**


	2. Welcome to Goodsrpings

"_You're awake. How about that."_

He squinted up at the ceiling. The light burned Shouto's eyes, and he was forced to close them again. Eventually, after much wincing and blinking, he was able to make out the fan spinning on top of the ceiling. What had happened to him? Shouto felt like he had been run over by a truck, then run over again as the truck backed up.

After another moment of laying on whatever bed he had found himself in, Shouto decided that the next best step to take would be to get up and take a look at his surroundings. It turned out to not be as good of an idea as he had hoped, as the world spun around him, turning his stomach over in all sorts of different directions. Shouto tilted sideways to reach over the bed, and was caught by sturdy arms, balancing him out and taking away most of the nausea.

"Woah, easy there. Easy," the person holding him said. It sounded like a man, probably middle-aged. Shouto's clearing vision confirmed this: It was a bald man with a white mustache, grey shirt, and red bandanna. "You've been out cold for a couple of days now. Why don't you just relax a second? Get your bearings."

Shouto let out a shaky gasp, pulling himself out of the man's grip and squeezing his hands on the bed frame, trying to center himself. A couple of deep breaths. In. Out.

He looked back up. _Thank you, I think. Why am I here? Why can't I remember?_

"Who are you?" He asked. Oops. He hadn't meant to be that blunt. What about all the other questions he had?

Words, thoughts, ugh. Something was wrong with him. What was wrong with him?

"That's as fair of a question as any," the man chuckled. "I'm Doc Mitchell, only doctor here in Goodsprings." He leaned closer to Shouto, inspecting him. "Now, let's see what the damage is. Your name, can you tell me your name?"

"I'm Shouto." He tried not to flinch away from Mitchell's gaze. The last time someone had been this close to him… when was it? _The doctor said something about damage._

"Shouto. Hmm. Can't say that's what I'd have picked for you, but if that's your name, that's your name." Mitchell leaned back, clearly done inspecting him, for the time being.

"Well, what would you have called me then?" Shouto asked, mildly offended.

"Carlton, I think. Yes, that suits you well." Mitchell's eyes seemed to sparkle at Shouto's offended scoff. "In any case, it's good to know you can still speak, and respond to language. Always an important thing."

Speaking? Language? If those were the things Mitchell was worried about, it must have been really serious. Shouto finally voiced his biggest concern. "What happened to me?"

"You don't remember?" Mitchell raised an eyebrow. "You got shot in the head." The man tapped his head for emphasis. "Ol' Victor found you out in the cemetery and brought you back to me to be fixed up."

"I… got shot in the head?" Shouto reflexively reached up to feel his head. Sure enough, there was a thick layer of gauze wrapped around it. On instinct, he tapped against it, then winced at the pain and cursed his stupid decision making skills. "I don't remember it."

"Not at all?" Mitchell asked. Shouto concentrated, trying to think about what had happened.

_A checkered shirt, slick hair. Two much rougher looking men. _

"_Truth is, the game was rigged from the start."_

Shouto frowned. "Maybe a little bit."

"Well that's something, isn't it?" Mitchell leaned behind him and pulled out a mirror. "Now, I hope you don't mind, but I had to root around a bit, pull out all those pieces of lead. I take pride in my needlework, but you tell me if I left anything out of place."

Shouto accepted the mirror. Blue and grey eyes, red and white hair. Everything looked fine, save for the bandages and the odd expression on his face. _Was I always that_… Shouto searched for a word. _Intimidating? Did I always have that kind of expression?_ He'd have to apologize to Midoriya the next time he saw him. Again.

_When he saw him again?_ No, that was right. He was in another world, working as a courier, trying to make enough money to get back home. Gods, his head was so mixed up, how could he forget? Shouto shook his head and handed the mirror back to Mitchell. "I look fine."

"Good. Means I got it right. Anyways, no use keeping you in bed anymore. Let's see if we can get you on your feet." Mitchell stood up, then leaned down and grabbed Shouto's arms, pulling him upwards.

The world went light, and everything spun around him as Shouto stumbled, using Mitchell's arms to keep his balance. The doctor held him steady, and after a few moments, his vision cleared again. "Good!" Mitchell said. "Why don't you walk down to the other end of the room? Over by that vigor tester machine. Take it slow now, it ain't a race." He carefully let go of Shouto's arms and walked down to said machine.

Shouto took his first real look at the room he had woken up in. It was plain, a bit muted and dirty, but in a much better condition than most houses he had seen in the months he had been stuck in this desert. Sparsely decorated, especially when considering the doctor's offices he was used to. Shouto walked towards Mitchell, steps hesitant at first, then quicker and more confident as he found his balance returning to him.

Mitchell greeted him with a smile. "Looking good so far. Go ahead and give that vigor tester a try. We'll learn right quick if you got back all your faculties."

Shouto gave him a nod in confirmation, and turned to the machine, fiddling with the controls. It looked like something out of a carnival. Shouto wasn't sure how this was supposed to help the doctor test him out, but it wasn't too bad of a thing to try.

When he finished, he looked back up at Mitchell. The elderly doctor offered him a smile. "Look at that. Maybe those bullets done your brain some good." He motioned for Shouto to follow him into the next room. "Well, we know your vitals are good. But that don't mean the bullets didn't do some damage." The room they walked into was much cosier, rugs and couches, and shelves filled with things. "What do ya say you sit down on my couch, and we go through a couple of questions? See if your dogs are still barking."

"Alright." Shouto sat down on the couch. It was much nicer than the bed. Mitchell sat down across from him.

"Okay then," the doctor started. "I'm going to say a few words, and I want you to tell me the first thing that pops into your mind. Dog."

The first thing? "Cat."

"House." Shouto thought about it.

"Shelter." They went through the list, most of the words normal, run of the mill things.

"Father," Mitchell said.

"Disappointment," Were Shouto's automatic words. He choked on air, freezing up, before remembering that he hadn't had to worry about his father hearing him for months, and wouldn't again until he got home. Mitchell gave him an odd look, and he cleared his throat. "Long story."

"I see. I won't get into it then." Mitchell shifted in his seat. "Now, I've got a few statements, and I'd like you to tell me how much they sound like something you'd say. First one: "Conflict just ain't in my nature."

Shouto had to think about that one. If he was being brutally honest? "Disagree." He could think of many instances right off the bat that proved he would be lying if he agreed with it.

"I ain't givin' to relying on others for support."

"Agree." He had started, for sure, but he wasn't there yet, and if anything, being in the Mojave had set him back on that aspect, considering just how often he'd had to figure out how to survive on his own.

"I'm always fixin' to be the center of attention."

"Strongly disagree." That one was a no brainer. And so they went through a couple more questions, Shouto wondering just what the point of it all was. With the statements done, Mitchell held up a piece of paper with an ink stain on it. The Rorschach test? Shouto had heard of it, but never taken it personally.

"Almost done here," Mitchell assured him. "What do you say you have a look at this? Tell me what you see."

Shouto examined the paper. "A broken chain, I think." And the next one Mitchell held up, he said it looked like a ship at sea, then the next, a light in the darkness.

Mitchell took his cards down. "Well, that's all she wrote."

"So then, what's your evaluation say?" Shouto leaned forward slightly.

"Well, I don't have anything to compare it to, but you don't seem to terribly disturbed by the gunshot wound." Mitchell stroked his mustache. "I should warn you though, from the little information we have of people surviving a shot to the head, it can lead to things like amnesia, and changes in personality. Just a warning. Not much I can do to fix that."

Did he have amnesia? Shouto couldn't think of anything he'd forgotten, but considering the nature of amnesia, that didn't say much.

Now that he thought about it, his memories of the past couple months in the Mojave seemed a bit blurry, which was not a good sign. He should seriously keep an eye on that.

"I understand." _Thank you anyways._ He probably should've said the last part out loud. Mitchell saved his life, and here he was, acting like a jackass to him. But even as he thought about it, Shouto couldn't seem to make the words leave his mouth.

"Before I turn you loose, I need one more thing from you." Mitchell handed him a clipboard and pen. "I've got a form for you to fill out, so I can get a sense of your medical history. Just a formality. Ain't like I expect you got a family history of getting shot in the head."

Shouto looked over the form, then handed it back. "None of these things pertain to me."

Mitchell took it. "Alright, that just about does it. Come with me, I'll see you out." Shouto followed him through his house, and towards what he assumed to be the front door.

Mitchell paused in front of the door, handing Shouto his things. "Here, these are yours. Was all you had on you when you were brought in. I hope you don't mind, but I gave the note a look. I thought it might help me find family you had, but it was just something about a platinum chip." He paused, and gave Shouto a once over. "Need a moment to change?"

Shouto took his things gratefully. "Yeah, thanks." He ducked into a side room and scrambled to put on his regular clothes, tucking his gun in his holster and his provisions in his jacket.

He walked back into the hallway, and was greeted by the doctor holding out some sort of strange arm device. "Well, if you're heading back out there, you oughta have this."

Shouto took it and strapped it on his arm, examining it curiously. His jacket felt suspiciously lighter all of a sudden. "What is it?"

"They call it a Pip-Boy. I grew up in one of them vaults they made before the war. We all got one." Shouto could vaguely remember Hitoshi telling him about them. Maybe he had seen one before? "Thing's a work of art. Can store almost all of your stuff for you, and let you change it out at a moment's notice. Course, there's only so much you can carry before you run out of storage, but it's damn useful nonetheless."

Shouto opened up the Pip-Boy and looked through it. Sure enough, his things were listed on the screen. He selected one, and felt it fall neatly into his hand. _This world may not have quirks, but this sure as hell makes up for some of that. How did they even make something like this?_

He looked back up. "Why would you give this away?"

Mitchell shrugged. "I got no use for it anymore. I'm just a doctor here in Goodsprings. You've been through a lot kid. I thought you could use something a little extra on your side."

"Right." Something felt lodged in Shouto's throat. "I appreciate it." He hovered in the doorway, unsure of how to proceed. "What do I do now?"

"Well, you could talk to Sunny Smiles before you leave town," Mitchell suggested. "She can help you fend for yourself in the desert. She'll likely be at the saloon. Might want to see if you can talk to Victor as well."

"I'll do that then," Shouto said. _Victor's the one found me, right? _"Who is this Victor anyways?"

"A robot, believe it or not. One of the securitrons from the strip seemed to get the idea that they were a cowboy, and came down to Goodsprings to live out their dream. Odd fella, but pretty harmless." Mitchell waved him out the door. "Good luck. And try not to get killed anymore."

"I'll do my best." And with that, Shouto left the house.

* * *

Once again, light blinded him as Shouto stepped outside. He put his hand up to his eyes as they adjusted to the outside world once again. The brightness eased up, to reveal Goodsprings in all it's broken down stereotypical wild west glory. Of all the places he had been so far, Shouto had to admit this town won the award for looking most like it came straight out of a western film.

Shouto breathed in the fresh air. It was nice to be back outside.

The soft rumbling of machinery caught his attention, and he looked down the road, spotting a strange machine rolling down the street. _Doc said Victor was a robot, could that be him?_ Shouto ran down the street, jumping in front of the strange robot.

The front was even stranger. A small screen on the otherwise hulking figure showed an image of a cowboy face, complete with a cowboy hat.

"Howdy partner!" The robot said. "You're lookin' mighty fine, considering how I found ya."

"You're Victor then," Shouto guessed. _Thanks for digging me out of that grave._ "How did you find me?"

"I was out for a stroll that night when I heard a commotion up at the old bone orchard. Saw what looked like a bunch of bad eggs, so I laid low," Victor answered. "Once they'd run off, I dug you up to see if you were still kickin'. Turns out you were, so I hauled you off to the Doc real quick."

"Right." Shouto wondered if he should ask anything else-

"_Truth is, the game was rigged from the start."_

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those words. The checkered man. That was who shot him. A rage bubbled up in Shouto, surprising, but not completely unfamiliar.

Whoever that man was, he was going to pay for what he did.

Shouto looked back at Victor. "Do you know who the men who attacked me were?"

"Can't say I'm familiar with the rascals." Victor admitted. "Some of the folks in town might be able to help you out with that."

"Okay. Thank you anyways." Disappointing, but at least he had a place to start. Shouto gave the robot a small nod, and continued on his way to the saloon. I was fairly easy to spot, with the neon flashing sign and all.

He stepped forward and entered the saloon, closing the door softly behind him. How was he going to know who Sunny Smiles was? It wasn't as though he needed someone to teach him how to survive, not with the months of experience he now had under his belt, but it would be good to talk to the local townspeople, see what they knew about the man who shot him.

"Oh, I've never seen you here before! You've got really interesting hair." Shouto jumped and spun around, because there was absolutely no way, it couldn't be-

But it was. Midoriya was right there in front of him, smiling cheerfully, and lacking any hint of recognition in his eyes. His hair seemed to be brown instead of green, although when he shifted in his seat, Shouto thought he could see his own Midoriya's colors.

There was a hunting rifle on his back. The Midoriya he knew would never carry anything like that.

"Hello?" Midoriya's smile dropped slightly when he didn't respond. Shouto tried to force something, anything, to come out of his mouth, but it seemed like his own voice had failed him. Now Midoriya looked concerned. "Is there something wrong?"

_I know another you from another world, and he was my first friend, and I just lost him. I know you don't know who I am, but it's so good to see you. I'm alright, thanks for asking. How are you?_

"I got shot in the head," was what finally came out of his mouth. The horror and embarrassment from his blunt statement came crashing in a second later. Shouto would've facepalmed if he wasn't frozen in place.

Midoriya's eyes widened, and he leapt out of his seat, rushing over to examine the bandages around his head. "Oh no! That's awful, I'm so sorry. You must've been recovering at the Doc's place." Shouto remembered how to move his head, and nodded. "At least you're alright! I mean, obviously not perfect, considering what just happened, but still not bad."

"Not bad," Shouto finally confirmed. His tongue felt stuck to the roof of his mouth. "Looking. I'm looking for Sunny Smiles. Doc Mitchell says she knows lots about this town, and can help me out."

"Ah, sorry." Midoriya rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "She's not here right now, her and Cheyenne went off to take care of some Geckos attacking the water supply. Cheyenne's her dog, by the way." He brightened. "But I can help you! Sunny's my aunt, I know pretty much everything she knows." He held out his hand. "I'm Izuku. It's nice to meet you."

Shouto blinked. Did Midoriya have an aunt in his world? He didn't know. He never thought to ask, being so used to trying as hard as he could to avoid the topic of families.

Mid- Izuku started to drop his hand after Shouto had stayed still a moment too long. Slightly panicked, he reached forward and grabbed Izuku's hand. Probably harder than he meant to. "I'm Shouto."

Izuku's smile returned full force. "Glad to meet you Shouto! What was it you wanted to know?"

"I was wondering if you'd seen a man in a checkered suit around here recently," Shouto started. "He was the one that shot me." The memory of that night flashed in his mind again. _He was holding a chip. My chip. The one I needed to deliver._ "Stole something of mine too. I need it back."

Izuku looked clearly hesitant. "You sure you want to go after the guy who shot you? What if he tries again?"

Shouto shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to be quicker." _Thanks for worrying._ "Are you going to tell me if you know anything?" _Dammit!_

"Um, yeah. I saw someone like that yesterday actually. Black and white coat? With two other burly guys?" Shouto nodded in confirmation. "They already left, but we should talk to Trudy! She owns this bar, and is kind of the town mom. And she loves to meet newcomers, I'm sure she'll be happy to point you in the right direction." With that, Izuku took off, and Shouto followed him through multiple doors and to the other side of the saloon where a woman stood behind a bar.

There was a tall man in the bar, wearing a police uniform, towering over her. "I'm done being nice. If you don't hand over Ringo soon, I'm going to get my friends, and we're burning this town to the ground, got it?"

The woman, Trudy most likely, crossed her arms in defiance. "We'll keep that in mind. Now if you're not going to buy something, get out." The man stormed away, and Shouto caught a glimpse of a knife in the man's hand as he passed.

"Are you okay Trudy?" Izuku asked. "Is that Cobb guy bothering you again?"

Trudy smiled fondly at them, earlier annoyance fading. "Yes, but it'll be fine. Don't worry too much about it." She focused on Shouto. "You're the boy Doc was patching up, aren't you? Feeling any better?"

"Yes," Shouto said. _More, say more!_ "Thanks."

"Well, I'm very glad to meet you in person," Trudy assured him. "Welcome to the Prospector Saloon."

"He's looking for information on the guy with the weird jacket," Izuku put in. "Could you tell him anything about that?"

"Oh those people," Trudy scoffed. "Bunch of freeloaders, tried to get free drinks off me. I made them pay up. Two of 'em were Great Khans, they knocked the radio down by "accident"." She made figure quotes at that point. "Still isn't working."

"I can fix that," Shouto said, even though he wasn't sure he could. Maybe he could? He wasn't sure. Izuku sent him a curious look, which he tried to ignore. "Can you tell me which way they went?"

Trudy seemed to think back. "Well, it sounded like they came here from Quarry Junction, and didn't want to go back that way. Can't blame 'em. The whole area's overrun with critters that just get mad if you shoot them. Merchants avoid that whole stretch of I-15 like it's radioactive. Which it could be for all I know."

"Right." Well, that was one spot of Shouto's list of places to check. He wasn't sure if it would be as much of a problem for him, considering his quirk, but he'd rather not take the chance anytime soon. "Did you hear where they were heading?"

"Their leader was talking about the Strip," Trudy said. "If I had to guess, they went that way. Probably took highway '93 up, if they're trying to avoid I-15."

"Thanks." So that would be where Shouto would begin his search. _The Strip, huh. Wish I could just go there and talk to House, but I still don't have nearly enough caps to bargain with._ He supposed he would have to settle with getting his delivery back. "So about that radio…"

* * *

Izuku sat next to him as Shouto repaired Trudy's radio, his hands moving automatically where his thoughts were still trying to catch up. The freckled boy was leaning over his shoulder, watching his work with interest. If it were anyone else, Shouto most likely would've told them to move, but somehow, Izuku put him at ease, even in another world.

He was lucky Izuku didn't seem to mind Shouto's terrible first impression. He certainly looked nervous at the moment, but it seemed to be for another reason entirely.

"I'm kind of worried for her," Izuku finally admitted. "Trudy, I mean. This is the second time Cobb's tried to threaten her this week."

Shouto put the finishing pieces into place and set the radio down. "Who is this Cobb guy anyways? He said he wanted someone named Ringo."

"Cobb's a Powder Ganger. They're a bunch of convicts that escape from the NCR and formed gangs all across the Mojave," Izuku explained. "Ringo's some poor guy that got on their bad side. He's been hiding out here for a while. I know Aunt Sunny and some of the others would fight the Gangers if he asked for help, but he hasn't." Izuku stroked his chin in thought. "Maybe we should just go and ask him if he wants help? He might think he'd be imposing if he asked for it himself."

"Fine by me." And it really was. Shouto hadn't had much of a chance to act like the hero he was supposed to be becoming lately, with being in a dangerous post-nuclear desert and all. Helping out someone being hunted by a gang sounded like a nice change of pace. "I'll just get this back to Trudy first."

The two of them walked in companionable silence back to the bar. Trudy turned to them with a smile.

"You boys are back," she greeted. "Everything alright?"

"I fixed your radio." Shouto held out said radio. Surprise flashed across Trudy's face, but she took the radio and turned it on. Soft music floated out from inside it.

"So you did. Works good as new, it seems." She placed the radio on the shelf and fished around her pockets. "Here. You did a great job, you deserve a reward." She held out a bag of what sounded like caps. Shouto took the bag and glanced inside, confirming his guess. He put it in his pocket, and felt it shift into his Pip-Boy.

"Um, we were wondering," Izuku spoke up, hesitance clear. "We wondered if you could tell us where Ringo is? We want to go and talk to him."

"Both of you?" Trudy glanced between Shouto and Izuku for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Shouto said firmly. "We want to help."

Trudy still seemed hesitant, but relented. "Well, if that's the case. He's at the abandoned gas station up the hill."

"Thanks Trudy!" Izuku made for the exit, and after a brief glance back, Shouto followed him.

* * *

The man Shouto could only assume was Ringo had both a suspicious expression and a handgun trained on the two of them as they walked through the door. "That's far enough," the merchant said. "Who are you and what do you want from me?"

Izuku put his hands up in a placating gesture. Shouto prepared to use his ice side if things went wrong. "We're friends, don't worry. I'm Izuku, and this is Shouto. We want to help you."

Ringo's eyes widened. "Oh, two kids." He nodded at Izuku. "I think I saw you in town once." The man lowered his gun. "Sorry, you caught me off guard."

"Oh, it's alright!" Izuku hastened to say. Shouto decided to get right down to business.

"You're Ringo, right? You know there's a guy named Joe Cobb after you?"

Ringo didn't seem that bothered. "Yeah. He doesn't look very tough tough. I hear he's afraid I'll shoot him down from one of the windows when I see him, and he's right. I'll have a much bigger problem when all of his friends show up. There's no way I can handle all of them in a gunfight."

"That's why we're here!" And so Izuku got right down to the pitch. "We want to help you get those guys off your back." Ringo seemed skeptical, so Izuku added, "I know we may not look like much, but I'm really good with both guns and unarmed combat."

"Plenty of kids are around here," Ringo scoffed. "Doesn't mean I'm just going to let some kids get killed going up against a gang for me."

"I've survived for nearly three months in the desert on my own," Shouto informed him coolly. "Plus I've got more than a few tricks up my sleeve. Don't underestimate us."

Izuku's eyes lit up with an idea. "And it doesn't have to be just us. We can get the whole town to help out. I know plenty of them will be happy to help you out of this mess." He paused. "Or at least get the Powder Gangers out of town."

Finally, Ringo relented. "Alright. Still not happy about letting some kids get into a gunfight, but it looks like I don't have much of a choice." He leaned forward and handed them each a few caps. "I don't have much, but you might as well have this." He nodded at Shouto. "You're a traveler then? Stop by the Crimson Caravan sometime, they'll give you more. And about getting others to help, maybe start with Sunny Smiles. She's been friendlier than most."

"We'll do that." Izuku smiled. "Just hang in there, you'll be safe from Cobb and his friends in no time."

With that, the two exited the gas station and head back towards the town. Shouto pondered whether he should start up a conversation. It couldn't hurt, as long as he could actually get the words out this time.

Mind made up, he turned to Izuku. "So you've lived in Goodsprings for a while?"

"My whole life," Izuku confirmed. "Me and Mom and Aunt Sunny. Mom went off a year ago to help with relief efforts in the more war torn parts of the Mojave, so it's just been Aunt Sunny and I lately." He sighed, looking up at the sky. "Goodsprings is a great town, especially compared to a lot of the places in the Mojave, but I kinda want to get out there, explore some more." He let out a little laugh. "Only so many times you can hear Easy Pete talk about his prospecting years before you're anxious to go and find some amazing things yourself."

Shouto could sort of relate. Travelling hadn't really been an option for him in his world, what with his old man and hero training. If there was one thing he enjoyed about this world, it was the freedom he now had, to go to so many different places, do so many different things.

The entered the saloon again to see a woman and her dog relaxing in the front room. Said woman looked up and smiled brightly as she spotted them enter.

"Izuku, there you are. Trudy said you were hanging out with that boy the Doc was patching up, but you weren't anywhere you usually like to hang out." She caught notice of Shouto. "And you must be that kid. Nice to meet you."

"Hey Aunt Sunny!" Izuku called out. "We're gonna help Ringo take down the Powder Gangers. Will you help?"

"Of course," Sunny said.

"Just like that?" Shouto asked?

"Just like that. I have a feeling I'm going to end up fighting those guys one way or another, and if my nephew's already decided he's going to help, how could I say no?" Sunny ruffled Izuku's hair. "We should convince Trudy to join us. A lot of people look up to her, and if we can get her to join us, a lot of people will follow suit. I can talk to Easy Pete, get him to lend some dynamite. Since he only gives it away to people who can use it well, I should probably be the one to talk to him."

"I can ask Chet if we can borrow some armor," Izuku suggested. "He can be kind of flakey, but I know I can convince him."

"I'll talk to Trudy then," Shouto said. With all of that decided, the three split up, and Shouto walked around to the bar, where Trudy greeted him with a smile.

"I heard you three talking over there. So you're planning on taking down Joe Cobb's gang? It's a big risk, but I suppose you have to do what you think is right."

Time for some convincing. "We could use your help. Thing about gangs like that is they'll probably go after everyone else anyways, and we could use some more fighters on our side."

"I see your point." Trudy thought for a moment. "I was planning on sitting this one out, but I guess that's a bit of a moot point. He did already threatened to burn this town to the ground. Plus, Izuku's the town darling, and I'd rather he not get hurt. I'm in."

"Thank you." Even after months, Shouto occasionally fought the urge to bow. He left the bar ready to meet up with Izuku and Sunny, then paused.

Would Mitchell be willing to help them? Shouto couldn't see the harm in asking. Maybe it would be rude, requesting help like this right after Mitchell saved his life, but this was the whole town in danger. Besides, if the Powder Gangers won, Mitchel would be out of business.

With that in mind, Shouto headed for the place he had been patched up. Mitchell was in the living room, where he had just quizzed Shouto. He raised an eyebrow as Shouto entered. "How're you holding up?"

"Fine. The towns about to be attacked by bandits. Anything you could do to help?"

"Not more than a couple hours out of here, and you're already getting yourself into trouble again?" Mitchell sighed, but stood up. "I'm not much good in a fight, with my leg. And supplies are scarce. But I can give you what I can spare." He walked away, and came back a moment later with stimpacks and other assorted items.

"Thank you," Shouto said. "Explosives are going to be used. Do you have anything for more serious injuries?"

"Not much, but here's a bit of what I do have." He plopped two extra bags into Shouto's hand. "Hope this helps."

* * *

"Pretty much the whole town's agreed to help," Izuku informed Ringo once they were back at the station. "We're all ready to go."

"So am I then. I hope." Ringo reloaded his gun and clicked the safety off. "Let's do this."

The door opened, and Sunny slipped in. "Time to look alive, the Powder Gangers are here to play."

"How many are there?" Ringo asked.

Izuku wasn't far behind with his question. "Where's Trudy and the rest?"

"At least six of them. They look pretty mean." She turned to Izuku. "Everyone else is ready to fight."

"Then let's do this." And with that, the four of them charged out of the station and down towards the town, where Shouto could see numerous townsfolk armed with guns, standing by their houses or hiding behind boulders and barrels, ready to mow down the gang that had threatened them for long enough.

Izuku figited next to him. Shouto turned to his new friend. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Izuku said. "I'm better with knuckle dusters and medicine than guns, but I can do this. We'll be fine. Ringo will be fine."

"You're right. We will be." Izuku shot him a grateful look.

"They're here!" The Powder Gangers were charging down the streets, guns blazing, and the townsfolk responded in kind.

Shouto waited until Izuku had turned the other way and was focused on the gunfight, before peering around the corner and taking note of the gang members positions. With no one looking his way, he shot ice at all of their feet, freezing them in place. A couple saw it coming, including Cobb, and managed to dodge, surprised looks on their faces. More than half weren't so lucky, and were riddled with bullets before they could figure out why they weren't moving.

Cobb seemed to spot him, and their eyes locked. "You're the brat from the bar!" Cobb snarled, charging forward with his knife. Shouto raised his pistol, forced his eyes to stay open for accuracy, and fired three times. Cobb went down with a strangled yell.

Shouto hated it. He _hated_ it. But it hadn't taken long for him to realize that despite his early hopes, he didn't have a choice in the matter. People in the Mojave were the kind that wouldn't stop until they managed to kill him, unless he killed them first. Even when he tried to knock them unconscious or freeze them and leave them, they always went right back to trying to kill him after.

He didn't have a choice. That knowledge didn't make him feel any better.

The fight didn't last much longer. With the whole of Goodsprings defending their town, Sunny lobbing Easy Pete's dynamite at the gang, and Doc Mitchell's stimpacks healing up anything that got through Chet's armor, the townspeople emerged victorious.

There were no cheers, no celebration. There was a sigh of relief, a few pats on the back, and the townsfolk went back to work. That's how it was in the Mojave.

Izuku turned to Shouto with a wide smile. "We actually did it! We won!" Shouto couldn't help but smile back.

They turned to the sound of footsteps, and saw Ringo approaching them. "I owe you two a huge favor for this," The man said. He reached in his bag and pulled out some more caps. "Here. These are technically Crimson Caravan funds, but I know they'll understand once I explain things."

"It's no problem," Izuku insisted, and Shouto nodded. With one last smile, Ringo ran off, presumably to get back to his work.

Sunny jogged over and gave them both a hug. "You did good, kids. Let's get ourselves a drink."

* * *

"I still can't believe we did that." Izuku's face was flushed with excitement, even an hour after everything had ended. Shouto wondered if he looked light that after his first assignment with the Mojave Express. He doubted it, considering he remembered throwing up on the side of the road. "We won! We saved Ringo!" His face clouded. "I wish those people hadn't had to die though."

"Yeah," Shouto agreed. "That's what it's like in the Mojave."

"Is that what you deal with all the time?" Izuku asked, curious. Shouto shrugged. From what he could remember, it more or less was, except it was just one of him against a group, instead of a whole town against a few.

"It's a bit harder on your own," He finally said. The two sipped their drinks in silence for a while.

Izuku carefully set down his glass. "So, where are you headed now?"

"Probably to Primm. Nearest Mojave Express outpost is stationed there, and I want to get some more information on my delivery, find out why someone wanted it so badly they would kill for it." Primm was in a pretty tense state last he had been there, with the recent breakout. Shouto figured he should stop by the Doc and Chet one more time, get some supplies and ammo with the caps he had just received. "Then I'm going to the strip to find the ass who shot me in the head."

"Mmm." Izuku studied the table. Then, casually, "What if I come with you? Would you mind?"

Shouto looked at him in shock. "Why would you want to do that? I thought we just went over the fact that there's a lot of death and hardship out there."

"I can't just sit around here anymore," Izuku argued, pale but determined. "It was awful, fighting that gang, but it was even better, knowing I had helped Ringo escape them. If the Mojave's so bad, then I want to go out and make it a better place, even just a little bit! I know I can't do it on my own." Izuku looked Shouto in the eye. "So I want to go with you, if you'll let me."

Well then. Maybe Izuku wasn't so different from Midoriya after all.

"...Fine," Shouto said. Just be careful, alright?" _You're my friend, and I don't want to see you hurt._

"Right!" Izuku beamed. "Don't worry, I can handle myself in a fight. Plus, I've been told I'm really good with people, so if things go south somewhere, I might be able to talk us out of it. No offence, but that really isn't your strength."

"That's fair," Shouto agreed. "Alright then." He held out his hand, and Izuku shook it. "I look forward to working with you." Izuku laughed.

_Just a trip to Primm, then to the Strip, and I can get back to work on going home. How long could it take?_

* * *

**Thank you for reading, and reviewing on the last chapter! From now on, things are going to be a bit more spread out, focusing on Shouto and Izuku's adventures as they survive the Mojave and hunt down the one who shot Shouto (with a couple detours along the way). They won't all be linear (although if another companion comes along, all stories including them will be saved for after their introduction), but hopefully they'll be entertaining. I hope you enjoy, and please don't forget to review, let me know what quests you would like to see written!**

**For anyone curious, Shouto's main S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats are Intelligence, Perception, and Endurance (with his quirk he's got like a ten in Strength, without it he's like a four). His main Tagged Skills are Repair, Guns, and Survival, although he's built up Medicine over the months he's been in the Mojave as well. He's a bit low on Charisma, which is why it's good he's travelling with Izuku now, who's highest stat is Charisma (even if he doesn't realize it). **

**Any bad things that happen to them I can excuse by the fact that they both have terrible luck stats. Like, seriously, they need a third party member to balance this out, or they'll be in a lot of trouble real soon. **

**SonicDJM: Big Mountain will be in the story, especially since you asked for it! Most DLCs are a while away, but they'll certainly show up. I hope you enjoy it, as well as the chapters beforehand!**

**Thank you again, and I hope you enjoyed!**


	3. That A'way

**Thank you guys for reviewing! I'll admit, I was a little worried if anyone would read this, since Izuku wasn't the main character, but I'm glad people like it anyways.**

**I feel like this should said before the chapter begins, so there isn't any misunderstanding: Shouto will be acting OOC, especially for post-character development Shouto. This is very intentional, and not only will be addressed later on, but will be treated as a serious issue by those who know him from before he was shot in the head. What this means for Shouto in the long run is anyone's guess. I hope you can enjoy despite that.**

**This chapter will cover Primm and Nipton, and therefore deserves a warning for excessive violence, because Nipton. So just a heads up. Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Do you think we'll find any of the answers you're looking for in Primm?" Izuku wondered aloud.

Shouto gave a half shrug. "Not sure. But it can't hurt." It was nighttime as the two made their way along the cracked and crumbling road. The sky was nearly cloudless, and full of more stars than Shouto had ever seen in Japan. More than once since he had arrived in the Mojave, he had simply found an abandoned camp and lay down in a left over sleeping bag, staring up at the night sky.

It would have been even prettier, if not for the run down and nearly abandoned buildings littering the sides of the road, or the geckos and gangs that liked to sneak up on an unsuspecting sleeper, meaning Shouto never got any more than a couple hours of sleep at a time. Now he understood why Aizawa always looked tired.

"Anyways," he said, "There's an outpost for the Mojave Express here in Primm. The Nash's own it. I was hoping to get more information on the package I was delivering."

"See why someone wanted it so bad they were willing to kill for it," Izuku agreed thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Speaking of, did the order you got for the package say who wanted it delivered to them?"

Shouto frowned. "Not that I can remember. Just that they'd meet me at the north entrance of the Vegas Strip. If I had to guess, it was one of the Houses. Seemed like something the Omertas would do."

"Right," Izuku said, in a way that made it clear that he knew next to nothing about the different Houses in New Vegas. On the side of the road, Shouto spotted a gecko and a radroach going at it with each other. The two boys decided to move on before they were noticed.

* * *

Primm looked to be far more structurally sound than any of the towns Shouto had seen this far away from New Vegas. The tall cement buildings looked both comforting and suspicious. Hopefully all that would be in there were townsfolk, but one could never be too careful, and buildings like that were awful places to get stuck in.

"It's really big!" Izuku marvelled as they approached. "Way bigger than any house or building in Goodsprings." The road they were taking led onto a bridge, and Shouto spotted a white flag out of the corner of his eye and internally groaned.

_Oh great, it's them._

As if on cue, a man with shoulder pads, a ridiculous sun hat and goggles, and a hunting rifle strapped to his back jogged over to them, looking down on the two travelling teenagers with disapproval.

"Hey, where the hell do you think you're going?" The man snapped. "Primm is off limits."

Izuku looked up at him with wide eyes. "Why? What happened in Primm?"

The man gave a half shrug. "Some convicts from the prison up the road have taken over the town. Everyone inside is either dead or in hiding. Not only that, there are two tribes of raiders causing trouble in the area as well. You'd be safer heading back up to Goodsprings. It's not a place we can just let some teenagers into."

Izuku clenched his fists. "We're not just going to turn around that soon! We just left Goodsprings, we're not going back yet."

"We can take care of ourselves," Shouto added cooly, eyeing the man with distaste. The NCR being comprised of a bunch of pricks would be tolerable on its own, but they just had to stick their heads into everyone else's business, all the goddamn time. This seemed to be no exception.

The man sighed. "It's your asses on the line. Don't say you weren't warned."

"If the town's so dangerous, why aren't you doing anything to help?" Izuku asked.

"Would if we could, but we're way too stretched thin," The man sighed. "If we had someone helping us out with-"

"Then you would do better, I'm sure. Come on Izuku." Shouto dragged his friend away.

Izuku frowned at him, confused. "What was that for? Why couldn't we hear what he had to say? We could've helped him and the town?"

"That's the thing about the NCR," Shouto sighed. "They can't do a single thing for themselves. They just wait for passing travellers to stop by, drumm themselves up to be the good guy in every scenario, than guilt trip you into helping them with whatever tedious errand they don't feel like doing. And they don't even pay you for it in the end. Trust me, we're better off not talking with that guy anymore."

"Wow." Izuku contemplated all of that. "That's got to be the most I've heard you say since we met."

Shouto gave a half shrug. "Just don't like them, that's all. Come on, let's just head into town."

The two of them brushed past the NCR post, ignoring the soldiers murmuring about how they shouldn't be there. There were landmines positioned on the bridge, but Shouto was able to deactivate each of them as they went past. Not that it stopped them from stepping lightly as they made their way towards the town square.

Shouto took his pistol out of its holster. Izuku unslung his rifle from his back. The Mojave Express outpost was right there, in plain view, but neither of them wanted to take any chances.

Izuku glanced at it warily. "Should we take the long way around? Stick to the edges of the buildings?"

"Would be smart. We could- hang on!" The last few words became a shout as someone who could only be one of the escaped convicts charged around the corner and right at them. Thinking fast, Shouto iced the man up to his neck, and Izuku landed the shot to his head.

Shouto could hear shouts, presumably from the other convicts. He bent down to quickly rummage through the man's pockets, grabbing his caps, NCR cash and - _oh, he's got some dynamite!_

"What are you doing?" Izuku hissed, looking at him with something that was a mix between horror and morbid fascination. "Are you just going to root through a dead man's pockets like that? Seriously?"

"It isn't as though he's using this anymore," Shouto said, ignoring the uncomfortable twitch in his gut from his own actions. _This is awful. This isn't right._ He shouldn't ignore it, he knows, but he does. "We need all the caps and supplies we can get. Also we should run. Now."

"We'll talk about this later," Izuku promised, looking disturbed. They ducked around the side of the building, putting bullet holes in the two convicts that tried to jump them. At the sound of more gunshots and shouting, Izuku ducked into the closest building, and Shouto followed.

Not a moment after Shouto closed the doors behind him did an older voice ring out from inside the room they had found themselves in. "I don't know what it is that brought you two to Primm but you boys might want to rethink your plans. Town's gone to hell." Shouto turned to see an older man looking at them warily.

"We kind of figured that out." Izuku chuckled sheepishly. "We were trying to get to the Mojave Express, but convicts seem to have overrun the place."

The man raised an eyebrow. "That so? Looks like you chose the right building to hide in. Johnson Nash is my name, husband of Ruby Nash. Been living in Primm for eight years, thick and thin. I'm the one who runs the Mojave Express outpost."

_Glad we found you then._ Shouto stepped forward. "I'm Shouto, Courier Six from the Express. I wanted to ask about something I was assigned to deliver."

"Oh? I'll tell you whatever I can, although it might not be much. Do you have a delivery order you could show me?" Shouto pulled the order he had received out of his jacket and handed it to Nash, who looked it over.

"What can you tell me about this job?" He asked.

"Oh, this is one of them packages. That job had strange written all over it, but we couldn't turn down the caps."

"What was strange about it?" Izuku wondered. Shouto could practically see the gears turning in his brain.

"That cowboy robot had us hire six couriers. Each was carrying something a little different. A pair of dice, a chess piece, that kind of stuff. Last word I had from the office, it looked like payment had been received for the other five jobs. Guessing you didn't make it with the chip."

Shouto nodded wordlessly. _Cowboy robot? Sounds like Victor. But who was he working for?_

Nash snorted to himself. "First deadbeat we hired to do the job cancelled. Hope a storm from the divide skins him alive. Got this look when he saw your name next down on the list. His expression turned right around, asked if your name was for real. I said yeah, and he turned down the job right then and there, even with all the caps if offered. Well, that's were you came in."

"Right." Shouto tried to think of who that could be, but came up empty. Those spots in his memory were getting annoying. "Some men stole the package. A man in a checkered suit and some thugs."

"Do you know where they went?" Izuku added.

Nash thought. "Well I think so. Few night back, one of the townies was out scavenging for supplies. Said he saw a fella with a daisy suit come through with some of them Great Khan misfits, talking about a chip."

"One of them shot me," Shouto said. He saw Izuku wince, and wished he could be less blunt about it, but his mouth still didn't seem to be moving in sync with his brain. "I need to know where they went."

"Well for that, your best bet would be to talk to Deputy Beagle," Nash offered. "Since they came to town he was keeping a good bit of notes on them, and he was slinking around Bison Steve when your pretty boy friend came through. He may have heard where they were going."

"Thanks for your help," Izuku said sincerely. Shouto managed a stiff nod.

Nash waved them off. "No problem. Sounds like the convicts are gone now, should be safe to wander outside."

"Then we should go find Beagle." Shouto headed for the door, Izuku behind him.

The town was eerily quiet outside. Even though neither of them saw any convicts, they kept to the edges of the building, just in case.

"We need to talk about you looting that dead convict," Izuku murmured. Shouto gave a half shrug.

"What's to say? He doesn't need the money anymore. We do."

"That doesn't mean it's right!" Izuku spat, raising his voice. Shouto shushed him with a glare, and he flinched and looked away. "It's just wrong. Looting people's dead bodies is wrong. What do you need those few caps for anyways?"

_I need all the money I can. I need to find a way home._ The words lodged in Shouto's throat. He hadn't told Izuku that he was from another world, claiming the ice and heat he wielded as mutations. It wasn't that he didn't trust Izuku. Far from that. It was just that while Aizawa and Hitoshi saw him falling from the sky, and therefore believed his story, Izuku would have no reason to think he was telling the truth. Not when his quirk could be explained away easily.

When he finally found his voice, something very different came out. "I told you, it's dangerous out here. You need every single advantage you can get if your going to survive. If that means I have to loot, then so be it. If you don't take every precaution you can to survive, you won't last." He paused, then added: "You said you were prepared for this."

His friend looked stunned. Shouto shoved down the guilt. After a moment, Izuku laughed. There was no humor in it. "Well, I guess I wasn't. Maybe I won't ever be, if this is what it's like. Not that I'm turning back, but I'm not going to go around looting like you do. I'm sure I can survive the Mojave and keep my morals in tact." Determination shone in his eyes. "I'll prove you wrong."

"Suit yourself," Shouto shrugged. _I hope you do._ The two entered the Bison Steve Hotel.

* * *

"I didn't know you knew how to hack." Shouto marveled as they slipped into the back room behind the desk. There was a key on the table next to a skeleton's hand, and he snatched it up. He checked his Pip-Boy. It seemed to be a maintenance key. _Could come in handy._

Izuku looked both flustered and proud. "Yeah, I picked it up a bit back home. Had just the one dusty computer to practice with, but since these all seem to be the same model, I guess it ended up paying off." His eyes darted around the room. "Hey look, some caps! And we didn't even need to take them off a dead person!" Shouto ignored him, storing some first aid supplies in his Pip-Boy.

They made their way out of the room to see two more convicts rounding the corner. Shouto froze their feet and hands, and the two boys let their guns do the rest.

* * *

"This place is even creepier than the rest of the run down building," Izuku decided, as they crept down the maintenance hall. Shouto could understand what he meant; the once yellow paint was peeling, support beams were crooked and broken on the ceiling, entire hallways had collapsed, making them impossible to go through, and the entire thing was absolutely filthy.

There was another convict sitting at the desk at the end of the hall. Shouto raised his pistol and fired. His aim was true, and the man went down with a single shot to the head. They entered the room.

There was a man with greying hair in the back of the room, his hands tied up in front of him. He gave Shouto and Izuku a cynical smile. "I don't suppose you two're here to rescue me? I'd cross my fingers, but my hands are numb."

"We are, actually," Izuku assured him. "I mean, I think. You're Deputy Beagle, right?"

"That's me," Beagle confirmed. "Pleasure to meet you boys. I'm in a bit of a predicament here. I'd appreciate it if you could set me free."

"Sure," Shouto said. "In return though, I've heard you have some info on a man in a checkered suit and a couple of Great Khans that came through here. We release you, and you tell us what you know. Sound fair?"

"Absolutely," Beagle agreed. "I'll see you on the outside then." Izuku untied his hands, and Beagle ran right past them.

"You'd think he would wait," Izuku grumbled lightly. "I don't see a gun on him, I hope he'll be okay."

Shouto hummed. "Some of the convicts we shot had guns. He'll probably take one to defend himself. You do what you have to for survival, afterall."

* * *

They found Beagle again in the first building they had entered. A redheaded girl was tending to one of his wounds. Shouto recognized her from the sports festival.

"You shouldn't worry so much, Itsuka," Beagle commented lightly. "I was fine. Took out a few of those criminals while I was on my way out."

"Doesn't mean I'm not worried," Itsuka muttered. "Stop getting yourself into trouble like this!"

Shouto coughed lightly, drawing their attention. Beagle's face lit up. "Well, that was quite an adventure! We taught those convicts a thing or two, didn't we? And I have you two to thank for it, so you have my gratitude."

Itsuka's eyes widened. "You two got my dad out of there? Thank you so much!"

"Two brave kids, aren't they," Beagle chuckled.

"He's your dad?" Shouto blurted out, surprised. He vaguely remembered Itsuka from the recommendation test, and was sure she'd had a different father.

"Adopted," Itsuka explained. "He took me in when I was a little girl. Was practically a different person back then."

Beagle smiled. "And thanks to you, I'm a new man. I like the person I am now much better." He turned to the boys. "Now, there was something you wanted to ask me? About the fancy man?"

"Yeah, he took something from Shouto," Izuku motioned to him, "And we need to get it back. Can you tell us about him?"

"No problem," Beagle said. "I was performing recon, getting some intel on the Powder Gangers, when some Great Khans arrived with your friend in the suit. They were talking about some delivery they took from a courier. I assume that was you." Shouto nodded in confirmation. "They said they'd be headed through Nipton to Novac to meet a contact there."

Izuku smiled. "Thanks for your help!"

Beagle shrugged it off. "No problem. Now we just need to find a new town Sheriff, make sure things like this don't happen again."

"You seem like a good guy," Shouto said. "I'm sure you'll find someone worthy to take the position." He looked towards the door. "We should get going."

"You could always stay the night," Beagle offered. "Sun will rise in a few hours, might be best to get some sleep before heading out."

Izuku turned to Shouto with an expectant look, and Shouto sighed. "You're right, that would be best." Do we need to pay, or-"

Beagle slapped him on the back, and Shouto almost lost his balance. "Don't worry about that, you saved my hide back there. It's on the house."

"Rest up you two," Itsuka said. "And best of luck for tomorrow. I've heard Nipton isn't the nicest place to be."

* * *

"Do you smell something?" Izuku's words were cautious as they approached what appeared to be another town. Shouto hopped the Pip-Boy was correct, and that town was Nipton, because it was sweltering, and he was aching for a place to rest. "It smells like something is burning."

Shouto narrowed his eyes towards the sunlight. "There's smoke rising above the town. Not a good sign."

Izuku fidgeted with his rifle, nervousness in his eyes. "You think everyone's alright?"

"Only one way to find out." And so they went forward, weapons drawn.

The next things they noticed were the red flags with golden bulls on them, staked on opposite sides of the road. The flag of the legion. _Bunch of slavers and sadists_, Hitoshi had said. He motioned for Izuku to stay behind him as they passed the flags. Izuku recognized the flags almost instantly and complied, shrinking away from them as though the flagpoles themselves would try and drive nails through his hands.

There was a man dressed in plain clothes, standing right at the entrance to Niption. He ran up to them, beaming like a lunatic.

"Yeah! Who won the lottery? I did!" He crowed. Shouto and Izuku exchanged confused glances. "Smell that air! Couldn't you just drink it like booze!"

"Um, what sort of lottery are you talking about?" Izuku ventured nervously. Shouto wondered if the man was feeling alright. He took note of the ruinous state of what he was now sure was Nipton. Any recent lottery could not have ended well.

"What lottery?" The man snapped. "The lottery. The only one that matters. What are you, stupid? Oh my god, smell that air!"

Izuku leaned over to whisper in Shouto's ear. "Is this guy feeling alright?"

"He's acting like someone who just narrowly escaped death," Shouto muttered back. "So probably not."

With nothing else but a cheerful wave, the man ran right past them. Trying to put the strange incident out of their minds, the two entered the town.

"The main burning seems to be coming from the center of town," Shouto noted. Izuku tugged at his arm, but he wasn't paying attention. "We should head there to see what's going on." Izuku's tugging grew more insistent. "What is it?" Izuku said nothing, only a small whimpering sound escaping him. Shouto turned to see what his friend was looking at.

Two heads on two bloody pikes, one beared, one bald. Fresh blood on the ground, and the faces looked perfectly intact. They hadn't been like that for long, perhaps just put up before Shouto and Izuku got there. Bile rose inside him, quicker than he'd thought humanly possible. Shouto barely resisted the urge to throw up.

Izuku turned his head to avoid looking at them and made a choking sound, deep in his throat. "More. Over there." The freckled boy managed to spit out.

Shouto turned to look. Two more heads on pikes. One of them was a woman. She looked to be in deep pain. _Bunch of slavers and sadists_.

"Legion did this," He said. Despite the nausea and horror filling up inside him, his voice came out surprisingly even. "Guy said something about a lottery. Think this is what happened to the losers?"

"D-don't say that." Izuku's hands shook. "We should. We should look for survivors." He motioned towards the nearest house. "Here, w-we can look in here. Gotta be someone who survived."

_Of course. We can't lose hope. That's not what h-_ "The crazy man was the survivor." Was what came out of his mouth. Izuku shot him an icy glare as he entered the building. Shouto deserved it.

There was a survivor inside. Shouto let out a breath as Izuku rushed over to the man.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" The man groaned. "First I get my legs smashed, and then walks in the Powder Gangers grim fucking reaper! What the fuck have you got against us man!?"

Izuku took a step back, clearly taken by surprise. "The what? You guys attacked our village, and we defended ourselves!" He paused to collect his thoughts. "Someone smashed your legs in, you said. Can you walk?"

"Of course I can't fucking walk!" The man snarled. "They smashed my _fucking legs in_."

"How did you survive?" Shouto asked. "The Legion looked pretty through out there."

The man snorted. "Luck, that's how. You're looking at the second place winner of the lottery. I'm just that fucking lucky. That asshole Swanic took first place, so him they let walk. Legion freaks dragged everyone into the center of town. The asshole with a dog on his head, he starts talking about how we're "bad people". Said we needed to be punished. Not all of us, but some of us. Then he gives everyone a fucking lottery ticket."

"What happened next?" Izuku's voice was barely audible, his face drained of almost all color.

"What do you think? He started drawing tickets." The man huffed. "That's how people got punished. First up was the lucky losers, who got decapitated. Lucky 'cause it's pretty quick. Then came the crucifixions, god damn but those went on and on. Third place runners up got enslaved. I got the fuck beat out of my legs, and the winner they let go free."

"I-I see," Izuku whimpered.

"And the fire in the center of town?" Shouto asked.

The man shrugged. "Oh that was for the mayor. They burned him alive on a pile of tires."

"Did they now," Shouto said. His voice was still frustratingly level, even as his hands were shaking and his vision was starting to go red.

The man kept talking. "You know, one of the guys they enslaved was a teen that looked a lot like scarface over there, except he had all red hair and two blue eyes, and was just a little bit older. Seriously, how does your hair look like that? You're kind of a freak."

All red hair. Blue eyes. Looked like him.

There were people in this world who were alternate versions of the ones he knew at home. Just because someone died in his universe didn't mean they were dead here.

"Shouto?"

His left side _burned_.

"Come on." He grabbed Izuku's hand and pulled him outside. Izuku stumbled on after him, the crippled man ignoring their departure.

Izuku trembled. "Shouto, they decapitated and crucified people. They stuck people's heads on pikes. They burned a man alive. Oh my god Shouto. _Oh god_. Shouto, what did he mean by-"

"I know." They walked further into town, crucifixes lining the streets. People were groaning in pain on them, some still alive. The mountain of flaming tires was right there in the town square, littered with dead bodies. More crucified bodies.

They were reaching the town hall. There, standing right before it, was a man with a wolf pelt on his head, flanked by lackeys. He was dressed in what seemed to be an attempt at roman style armor.

"Oh hello there." His voice was surprisingly smooth. "Don't worry. I won't have you two lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates. It's useful that you happened by."

"I-Is that right?" Although he understood, some part of Shouto hated how Izuku's voice shook, worried for his friend showing weakness in front of these people. "W-Why is that?"

"I want you to witness the fate of the town of Nipton," the Legionnaire said, a small smirk upon his face. "To memorize every detail. And then, when you move on, I want you to teach everyone the lesson that Caesar's Legion taught here. Especially any NCR Troops you run across. Not simply that they are weak, and we are strong. That was known already. But the depths of their moral sickness, their dissolution? Nipton serves as the perfect object lesson."

"_Their_ moral sickness? _Their moral sickness!?_" Izuku's voice raised almost to a shriek, his face twisted. "You fucking murderers!"

He drew his rifle. The legion troops drew their guns. Shouto froze the legion troops up to their necks, and Izuku shot all of them in the head, save for the man with the wolf pelt.

"How dare you!" Wolf pelt snarled. "I am Vulpes Inculta! You dare incur my wrath, you swine?"

"Shut up," Shouto growed. He knocked the man out with a swift punch to the head, then thawed him out. Shouto turned to Izuku. "Help me move him."

"Where?"

"That empty cross. Not on it, but we can tie his hands behind it." Without another word, Izuku helped Shouto moved Vulpes to the cross, and he was quickly bound to it. Shouto stepped back, but Izuku lingered, rummaging through Vulpes' gear, and pulling out some sort of chainsaw-sword mix.

They waited until Vulpes awoke. The man glared at them.

"Untie me at once, or you won't live long enough to regret it," the enraged man spat.

"No." Shouto held out his left hand, and flames filled his palm. Vulpes' eyes widened. I want you to spread our lesson. Tell any legion troops that if they see us coming, they should run. If they don't, they'll receive the same punishment they casually doll out to others. Next time, you won't be so lucky." With that, he lit the Legionnaire on fire. Not enough to burn the man, but enough that he would be screaming for a long, long time.

_Touya's alive. Touya's alive here, and you enslaved him, you sick bastard. _The screams filled Shouto's ears without really penetrating them. _You deserve everything coming your way._

Izuku turned and threw up in the middle of the road. Shouto decided it was time for them to leave.

* * *

They were resting at some poor man's camp. Shouto didn't know who, but they obviously weren't coming back for the night, and so he wasn't too bothered by borrowing the man's things briefly.

Izuku was shivering, staring at the campfire in front of him without really seeing anything. Shouto understood.

He had burned a man alive today. Not in blind anger or self defense, but in a calculated motion. He _hated _himself for it. He hated himself in general, hated who he'd become since he came to the Mojave. But he wouldn't go back and do things differently, not for the people who had caused so much death and destruction.

And Touya. Touya was alive here. Even if the crippled man hadn't given a name, Shouto was sure that his older brother was the one who had been enslaved. There was hope from that thought, something Shouto hadn't felt in months.

Did it really matter? It seemed that he couldn't show any of the emotions he was feeling anymore.

"I hate them." Shouto spun around to face Izuku, surprised. "I hate the legion. I've never hated anyone before, but I think I hate them. I think I know what hate means now."

"Yeah." Shouto wondered if he should comfort his friend. Did Izuku hate him? It seemed all he had done the last couple days was disgust and horrify the other boy. Still, he felt the need to offer some sort of reassurance. He reached out and put his hand on Izuku's shoulder. Izuku didn't pull away.

They stayed like that for a long time, visions of fire running through their minds. Then Izuku fell asleep, leaving Shouto to keep first watch. And he was alone.

* * *

**And with that sad note, that's it for now! To answer the reviews:**

**SonicDJM: Unfortunately, I don't have a specific schedule, as you've probably guessed by now. Real life and other stories I'm planning won't allow that at the moment. However, I don't plan on dropping this, and it will continue to be updated, hopefully at regular intervals. **

**RavenJ: Thank you so much! Hearing that people like reading my story gives me more motivation to write. And don't worry, a certain explosion making teenager will be appearing in the story, although his circumstances may be very different.**

**Guest: There will be points where we'll see what's happening back in Shouto's world, don't worry. It's just too early for them at the moment :)**

**Thank you all for reading, and please review! Your comments make me want to write more, as cliche as that sounds. See you next time!**


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